The National Association of REALTORS’® Pending Home Sales Index rose 6.9% in March, compared to economists’ expectations of a smaller 1% gain.

The pace of sales rose 7.4% compared to February, topping analyst estimates by a large margin.

The surprisingly large decline in the pace of housing starts comes as builder sentiment remains depressed by tariff worries and high prices. 

A majority of millennial home buyers would choose a smaller home if it offered better amenities, according to a new report from National Association of Home Builders.

Home sales ramped up in March after a muted February. 

“Each interaction indicates buyer interest in that home, and listings with higher engagement levels tend to sell faster and at or above the list price,” Zillow Senior Economist Kara Ng explained.

Atlanta housing inventory posted healthy gains, while existing-home sales, housing starts and days on market declined.

“In a plot twist, baby boomers have overtaken millennials — the largest U.S. population — to become the top generation of homebuyers,” said Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research.

The annual report surveyed agents in the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network to find out how they’re helping clients get their homes ready to list. 

Meanwhile, purchase applications showed their strongest increase in almost two months, rising 7% year over year.

The National Association of REALTORS’® Pending Home Sales Index rose 2% month over month in February, topping an expected 0.9% gain. 

Young homeowners are the most likely to regret their home purchases: 94% of Gen Z and 86% of Millennial sellers acknowledged buying mistakes, compared to 48% of baby boomers.

Traditional charm, modern simplicity and an intentional combination of the two are on-trend for 2025 based on the big winners of the just-released 2024 Best in American Living Awards.

Nationally, home sales were down 2.6% year over year and up 8.4% month over month, RE/MAX said. 

The median existing-home price was also on the upswing last month, providing homeowners a bit of refuge as the stock market undergoes a correction, Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in the monthly report. 

The pace of new-home construction was higher than economists expected, even as homebuilders expressed concern about the impact of tariffs and supply-side challenges.